When I finished the Masters in (August) last year, I imagined I’d be a little less busy –  hmmmm

It’s been busier.

Heart of the Mountain

At the end of July, I was excited to release Release of Heart of the Mountain: a short novella as a e-book (available at Amazon but also Kobo, Barnes and Noble etc).

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Heart of the Mountain: a short novella

YA Fantasy Adventure in the lost realm deep under the mountain.

Twins Delvina and Retza’s greatest desire is to be accepted as prentices by their parents’ old crew when they stumble across a stranger. Trapped under the mountain, young Zadeki’s only thought is to escape home to his kin. Peril awaits all three youngsters. Will they pull apart or work together to save the underground realm?

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The launch was a lot of fun with over 20 people actively involved in the competitions and many receiving prizes. Reviews of Heart of the Mountain have been favourable – on the Vince Review, on Goodreads. and on Adam Collings (youtube).

I’m currently working on the sequel in the Under the Mountain series – Blood Crystal – so watch this space.

Retreats, Courses and Intensives

The year has been busy with retreats, courses, intensives and crit groups.

Nola Passmore and I joined up in the QWC’s Year of the Edit with Dr Kim Wilkins in August last year. This online course finished up in July and was full of practical tips, practice and critiquing with a bunch of other great writers. We had fun looking at different aspects of our novels (Rasel’s Song for me).

Omega Writers Toowoomba Retreat in May was a great time to catch up with old friends, make some new ones, learn some more craft and get some editing done.

I’ve enjoyed being part of the Intricate Worlds (science fiction and fantasy) critique group (which meets monthly), the Omega Science Fiction and Fantasy group (on Skype monthly) and the Between the Lines Book Club (again meets monthly)

By far the biggest highlight has been a 5 day immersion class with Margie Lawson. This was intensive course, mostly 12 hours days as Margie shared powerful deep editing insights and gave valuable one-on-one time.

Fantastic, empowering, inspirational.

I am excited about putting all I’ve learned into practice with my novels and stories.

Omega Writers Book Fair

Raelene Purtill and I are organising Omega Writers Book Fair of local authors – just 2 days away now on Saturday, 3^rd September.

The last few weeks have been busy, busy, busy, but I’m thrilled with how things are shaping up – 16 stalls, 2 workshops with a range of books from children’s to adult, fiction and non-fiction including YA spec fic authors Lynne Stringer, Adele Jones. Raelene Purtill and Lisbeth Klein.

Both Lynne Stringer and Adele Jones have new books ready to be released.  Lynne has written a contemporary novel Once Confronted and Adele has her final book in her YA medical-science trilogy – Activate.

*** Registrations for the two workshops

– The Power of Story by Paul Clark and The Writing Life by Raelene Purtill

are still open. ***

Coming Up

My flash fiction ‘Space Junk’ is soon to be published in Mixed Blessings Genre-lly Speaking (Breath of Fresh Air Press)

Glimpses of Light will be in the Books in Our Backyard (BOBY) catalogue – launching 9 September, 2016 at the Queensland State Library

Omega Writers Conference is coming up fast – this year in Sydney at the end of October.

I’m writing Heart of the Mountain sequels and editing Akrad’s Children and Rasel’s Song

Special Offer Extended

As part of The Heart of the Mountain launch – I offered an epub or mobi of ‘The Herbalist’s Daughter’ (originally published in Tied in Pink Romance Anthology) for anyone who signed up to Jeanette O’Hagan Writes newsletter – I’m extending the offer to the end of September 2016.

Why not sign up now – either on the side bar or by following this link.

It’s been a full and busy year and looking forward to new releases in the near future.   I’ll keep you posted.

Jeanette O’Hagan